The present invention relates to stackable surgical instrument cases suitable for autoclaving and particularly to stackable surgical instrument cases incorporating means for storing, transporting, and presenting of reusable surgical instruments to the surgeon during surgery.
A preliminary step to any surgical procedure is to have the surgical instruments and related components and accessories properly sterilized. This procedure involves subjecting the various parts and components to an autoclaving operation wherein these objects are subjected to an elevated temperature in the range of 270.degree. F. and an elevated pressure.
One requirement for any autoclaving tray or instrument holder for these instruments and components is that it is able to withstand the elevated temperatures and pressure, and to do so for many cycles. Any tray or instrument holder which would become unsuitable for continued use after only a few autoclaving cycles represents a design deficiency, not only from the standpoint of cost but also from the standpoint of inventory control and the time and inconvenience associated with having to repeatedly replace a damaged or otherwise unsuitable autoclaving tray.
Surgical instrument cases and instrument cases for autoclaving are known in the prior art. See, for example, Schainholz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,868; Arp et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,303; Moore, U.S. Pat. No. 1,905,556; Berry, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,688; Nisii, U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,060.
In the past, after surgery, it has been the practice to co-mingle all of the instruments in a basket which is then placed within an autoclave and subjected to sterilizing steam. When ready for use, a surgical nurse would take the instruments from the autoclave basket and lay them out on a Mayo stand in a particular arrangement dictated by the surgeon so that they would be in convenient reach of the surgeon or the surgical nurse.
The co-mingling of the instruments in loose fashion in a basket and the transportation thereof has damaged them, rendering them unusable. There was no way to organize them and to protect them at the same time. This, of course, increases the time involved in the particular procedure.
In many instances, particularly in orthopaedic surgery, the surgical instruments used in the various procedures look very much alike and differ only in minor respects, such as size, angle of bend, tip type, etc. At a glance, it is difficult to discern one instrument from another and, therefore, the surgical nurse or operating surgeon may have a difficult time finding the right instrument to use at any given time. It is, of course, imperative that the surgeon be able to rapidly identify and select the appropriate instrument to be used at any given time without confusion and without any undue lapse of time.
The present invention is intended to overcome these problems in sterilizing, storing, transporting, and presenting reusable surgical instruments.
According to the present invention, a stackable surgical instrument case is provided that comprises a container perforated with apertures for the passage of fluid through the interior of the container, cradle means inside the container for holding a variety of surgical instruments, and a top, which is hingedly attached to the container. The top, when the case is open, provides support for propping the instrument case at an acute angle to the horizontal to provide easy access to the instruments by the surgeon while minimizing handling. One aspect of the present invention includes cradles which are formed to include notches of various size to accommodate instruments of various sizes in laterally spaced-apart, upwardly extending positions when the instrument case is opened and propped up. Another aspect of the invention includes a handle attached to the container for facilitating handling of the instrument case. The handle comprises three portions. Two of the portions are attached to, and form extensions of, two opposing side walls, and a third portion connects the side wall extensions across a third side wall.
According to another aspect of the invention, the top comprises two sections and two hinges. The first hinge connects the proximal edge of the first portion of the top to a side wall for hinge movement about an axis, and the second hinge attaches the distal edge of the first portion to the proximal edge of the second portion of the top. Means for engaging the bottom of the container are formed along the distal edge of the second top portion. The support means is formed by rotating the first top portion about the first hinge so that the first top portion lies parallel to the first side wall. By rotating the second top portion about the second hinge, the engaging means on the distal edge of the second top portion can engage the bottom. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the first side wall is formed at an angle to the horizontal equal to the angle formed by the supporting means.
In another illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the case comprises a container having rectangularly arranged walls, a top and a bottom formed to include apertures, and a handle attached to the container. The walls have a height sufficient to accommodate the instruments. The top provides the support means for propping the case at an acute angle to the horizontal. A surgical instrument cradle is attached to the bottom of the inside of the container, and the cradle is formed to include notches. The top is formed to include a first top portion and a second top portion and a locking tab on the second top portion. It further includes a first hinge means for connecting the first top portion to the case and a second parallel hinge means for connecting the second top portion to the first top portion. A first wall is formed at an angle to the bottom wherein the angle formed is the supplement of the angle formed by the support means. According to one aspect of the invention, the handle is of the same height as the walls.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.